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May 14, 2011

Box Making Project

Image: Patent Pending Projects

A few years ago when the plastic bag levy came in people where up in arms about being charged 15 cent to put their shopping in a carrier bag. As a result, in the following months, there was an awful lot of "lazyman load" related accidents. When we had to start paying for bags we realised how wasteful we were. We would buy our shopping. Bring it home. Put it away and the bag would end up in the bin.

The more environmentally friendly of us would have stored these bags in a larger plastic bag that was most likely kept under the sink. And lets face it, in the past when we saw someone pull a crumpled up plastic shopping bag out of their back pocket or out of a handbag, we all thought the same thing. "What a cheapskate!" Now we think, "Damn it. I forgot the bag."

Since then a lot of shops provide brown paper bags as a substitute for plastic as there's no price levy. For a while there it felt like we were all living in America with our brown paper bags with lettuce and celery sticks popping out the top, but when we returned home, as before, the shopping would be put away and the bag ended up, well...you know where.

After all, we didn't have to pay for it so why keep it?

We seem to treat 99% of the packaging of our food in the same way. We don't see that we are paying for the packaging. Just the product. Although some of us are clued in to the whole "I'm buying the no name brand of (fill in product here ...... ) as it's the same company. It's just the packaging that's cheaper".

One well known coffee brand is trying to cash in on this idea with the following ad.
A range of people are seen trying to carry their coffee granules loose with them and are unsuccessfully. The voiceover explains that (this brand) in trying to use less packaging. They tried losing 100% of the packing but it didn't work so they've settled for 97% less packing in their new Eco refill packs.

What they don't tell you is that this new Eco refill pack is more expensive than their regular pack.
Is this the price for helping the environment?

I think the best way to help the environment is to reuse most of the packaging that we discard.

I decided to reuse some old Cereal boxes I was just about to throw out. At the same time I was thinking about getting some nice boxes to store old photos and logic stepped in and gave me this idea.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

This is so simple. It took about 2 hours to make.
Here's what you need.

Materials:
1. A couple of empty cereal boxes (or any cardboard packaging - your going to be cutting them up and sellotaping them together so anything will do.)
2. PVA glue (from a local art/craft or office supply shop) and small brush.
3. Scissors
4. Ruler
5. Sellotape/packaging or masking tape
6. Cloth or Material (I've use offcuts from curtains that were too long. You could use anything. Try wrapping paper, colour pages from a magazine, an old T shirt, or how about one of those brown paper bags you picked up at the shops?)
7. (Optional) Name plate. (I picked one up in a DIY shop for 40 cent) and some string.

Sellotape pieces as shown in the pictures. Flip cardboard over and tape reverse side also for extra stability.

Step 2: For the lid measure a piece of cardboard at least 1/4 of an inch larger than the base of your box.
Then measure 1 and 1/2 inches around that. This will be the side panels of your lid.
Cut out as is in the picture and tape the sides up with sellotape.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 3: Do the same with your box.
If you have any card left over line the inside of your box and lid to hid all the sellotape. Secure with PVA glue.
(This is optional and really only for aesthetics)

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 4: Cover the box.
Cut a piece of fabric to cover the box leaving enough spare for a 1/2 inch overlap on each side. Place the base in the middle of the fabric and glue in position with PVA glue.
(Tip - paint the entire base with glue otherwise the glue only sticks to certain parts of base and will be clearly visible once dry)
Next glue the longer sides in place first and glue overlap down.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Next glue along the overlap of the front and back panel and fold over to make a neat seam.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 5: Glue front and back panel to box.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 6: Tidy up the fabric with some glue and fold in. Stick down inside of box.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Repeat process for lid.

Step 7: (Optional) Place the name plate in position on box and mark it's position by puncturing 3 holes through the cardboard and fabric. Cut 3 small pieces of string and knot them all at one end. Line up the name plate again and push the pieces of string through holes. Secure on the other side with another knot or use some tape to hold string in place.